SUBJECTS: Science, Technologies
YEARS: 5–6, 7–8
Imagine our world if nuclear power generation could be made safer.
Discover how Chinese scientists have developed a new nuclear reactor that reduces the chances of the reactor overheating to the point of meltdown. To do this the pebble bed reactor uses advances in technology to replace the traditional water-cooled system.
Watch how the reactor responds when Professor Wu Zongxin simulates a meltdown test scenario by switching off the new cooling system.
Things to think about
- 1.Energy can appear in many forms. How many forms of energy can you think of? What forms of energy are useful in our lives? Nuclear energy is seen as a low carbon alternative to burning fossil fuels. How do most nuclear power plants work to generate electricity? Why do people fear meltdowns at nuclear power plants?
- 2.As the reporter enters the University gates the large box-like building is a pebble bed nuclear reactor. Watch as Professor Wu Zongxin drops one of the pebbles. What is each pebble made of? Look at the animation of the reactor to see how the pebbles are recycled through the core. What material is used to cool the nuclear reactions down? Scientists from around the world gather for a daring test: what do they witness? What does the graph show? Is the test a success?
- 3.What is the main difference between a conventional nuclear reactor and a pebble bed reactor? Find out why helium is a good choice as a coolant in the pebble bed reactor. The design of the pebble bed reactor is a passive design. Explore how other reactor safety designs attempt to reduce the potential for meltdown. If a pebble bed reactor is safer to operate what sort of role might it play in electricity generation in a low carbon emissions energy future?
- 4.The pebble bed reactor you saw is a prototype design. Why is it important to build a prototype nuclear reactor? There have been three major nuclear accidents over recent years. Research where these accidents were and what caused them. Investigate what impact that each accident had on the land and the lives of people surrounding them.
Date of broadcast: 22 Feb 2007
Copyright
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